Airforce mark bungle exposed

The following is a (very) rough extract from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:

Low admission marks and certain student pilots who did not take science as subject to matric level may mean that students may be withdrawn from flying training.

Lt.Gen. Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the Airforce, said this week that the airforce was recently made aware of the situation at the Central Flying School at Langebaanweg.

"It is of great concern to me because of the implications fo rthe airforce" he said.

The students initial selection was not performed by the Airforce, but by the Recruitment Centre of the Defence Force Human Resources section.

Therefore, Gagiano said, the matter is being referred to that section for further investigation.

Many of the instructors at the flying school suspected something because the students failed subjects and battled to pass the ground-school phase.

Students are initially chosen for flight training in two ways. Direct entry is possible with a D symbol in mathematics, science and English on higher grade, or a C symbol on standard grade. Alternatively, 60% for N4 mathematics or science, or 50% for N5, N6 or university mathematics and science is also admissible.

Some students go through the Youth Programme, which assists previously disadvantages students. Their marks are commonly weaker, but they can improve them with additional studies at an approved college. The students are transferred to the airforce after they have completed the requirements.

According to one instructor, years of experience have shown that good academic marks leads to successful flying training.

Some of the students whose entry qualifications are being looked into did not take science at school. Those that have weak marks did not have proof that they undertook further studies to improve them. Others had N diplomas, but no marks were indicated thereon.

Beeld understands that the breakdown in controls with the entry requirements has been ongoing for a number of years and can explain why some students could not pass their flight-training subjects.

"The problem is that it is not the students fault that they were accepted in spite of their qualifications. Someone did not ensure that they had the correct qualifications prior to them coming to the airforce, or otherwise there was meddling in the process" a source said.

"There are very good reasons why there are minimum standards to become a pilot. It is because a pilot will one day fly with passengers. No one must meddle with the requirements, because it could lead to someone's death."

Webmasters note:

At a press briefing attended by the Webmaster on 9 March, Lt.Gen. Gagiano stated that all students under training met all the entrance requirements. A review had found that initially some individuals needed to get additional qualifications. These were obtained, but the files at AFB Langebaanweg were not complete to include the additional qualifications.